Closure cap



Aug. 141, 1936. rR. LANDAU cLosiJRE CAP Filed April 1, 1952 PatentedAug. 11, 1.936

UNITED SAES Application April 1, 1932, Serial No. 602,602 In SwedenAugust 20, 1931 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a closure cap of elastic material the rim ofwhich is so subdivided by contacting or bearing elements Vinto springsegments that these latter are stretchedby the forcing of the cap onto-the mouth of the vessel to be closed, and are' thereby rmly pressedfor a portion of their length against the side of the said mouth.Closure caps of this type are already known in which the contacting orbearing elements provided between the spring segments of the rim areformed by depressions in the said rim. These depressions; however, havehitherto been in the form either of pointed indentations or of grooveson longitudinal generatrices of the rim, and in either case have onlyextended over a portion of the part of the rim above the margin to bebent inwards about the neck of the Vessel to be capped. The portions ofthe rim thus left free both above and below the depressions becomedeformed during the application of the cap, and render the subsequentremoval of the same difficult. Since, further, caps of this type can beremoved and replaced without leaving any visible indication of suchremoval and replacement these caps cannot be used as a guarantee thatthe contents of vessels closed by them are genuine and unadulterated.

The closure cap provided by the present invention overcomes therst-mentioned drawback by having longitudinal indentations whichpreferably commence at the head of the cap and extend as far as themarginal portion to be bent inwards, thus forming stiening ribsextending over the entire width of the rim proper. These ribs arecapable of withstanding any tendency to become deformed, and serve, bothduring the application and the removal of the cap, as guides or runnersfor the movement of the cap relatively to the vessel; In order that thecap may also act as g a safeguard against misuse the marginal portion ofthe rim is provided with dividing lines or marks which do not destroythe unity of this portion during the original application of the cap,but which become torn open by the removal of 5 the cap and thus, inconjunction with a hollowing in of the head of the cap produced by theaction of the closing implement, clearly distinguishes the cap as havingbeen already used, without, however, rendering the cap unfit for furtheruse; on the contrary, after the first removal the cap can be employed asoften as desired for temporarily closing a vessel the contents of whichhave only partly been used, or for any other purpose. These dividinglines or marks are preferably arranged as continuations of the abovedescribed indentations, so that, in the first place, these indentationsmay prevent the undesired tearing of the rim beyond the ends of thesemarks, and, in the second place, the tongues or segments of the marginalportion thus formed may 5 participate in the pressing-on of the rimsegments eiected inthe described manner by the provision of theindentations in the` main portion of the rim.

Two forms of construction embodying the inl0 vention are illustrated, byway of example, in the accompanying drawing, in Which:-

Fig. 1 shows the closure `cap attached to the neck of a vessel, insection on the line I--I of Fig. 2. l5

Fig. 2 shows the same form of cap in perspective.

Fig. 3 shows a modied cap, in elevation and part section.

Referring to the drawing, the closure cap shown in Figs. 1 and 2consists in a known manner of a head a and a cylindrical rim b thediameter' of which is preferably somewhat larger than the outsidediameter of the thickened orifice c of the vessel d to be closed. In theperiphery of the rim b there are impressed at equal distancesindentations f which preferably proceed directly from the head of thecap a and extend to the marginal portion e of the flange b to be bentinwards. These indentations follow longitudinal generatrices of the rimb, and form inwardly projecting stiffening ribs. This shaping of the capmakes 'it possible for the cap to be manufactured with the indentationsf in a single operation. For the purpose of obtaining gas-tight closurethere are provided in the head a of the cap a layer g of oiled orparchment paper and a cork disc h.

On the application of the closure cap to the vessel d by means ofpressure exerted upon the 4o head a of the cap the stiening ribs formedof the indentations f, each diametrically opposed pair of which areslightly less widely spaced apart than the diameter of the head c of thevessel, are y automatically forced apart radially in a known manner, sothat the middle portion of the segments between the indentations f arestretched and thereby pressed against the head c of the vessel. Thestiii'ening ribs f extending over the entire .x width o f the rim b upto the marginal portion take vup, without any deformation, all strainsoccurring both in a-.longitudinal and in a transverse direction, andthus act as guides or runners which facilitate the application, and moreparticularly the removal, of the closure cap. If the closure cap beemployed in connection with a vessel oriiice c which is not circularlycylindrical but, for lnstance, conical the stiflening ribs f will rockoutwards in the manner of one-armed levers about the cap head as apivot, and thus adapt the clolsure cap to the shape of the orifice,without impairing the eiectiveness of these ribs as guides or runnersfor the movement of the cap. In the event of the indentations f beingmade to proceed right from -the head a of the cap these indentations canbe made with the closure cap in a single operation.

In the modified form of the cap shown in Fig. 3 there is provided in themarginal portion e be- ,neath each ot the indentations f a dividing markl produced by weakening of the material, a narrow web k being preferablyleft between each indentation and mark. During the original mechanicalapplication of the closure cap the marginal portion e forms a continuousencircling jacket which, after having been bent into engagement with theconstruction immediately following the thickened portion of the neck cof the vessel to be closed, firmly secures the cap to the vessel. Whenthe closure cap is removed with the aid of a suitable implement thecrimped margin e is so subjected to tensile strain,`both by the directaction of the said implement and by the drawing of this marginal portionover the thickened neck c of the vessel, that this marginal portion e istorn apart where the'resistance is least, namely, along the dividingmarks I. This tearing is eiiected in practice only throughout the lengthof these dividing marks l, and possibly across the web lc, since theresistance of the upper, main portion of the rim is very considerablyincreased by the arch-shaped stiitening ribs f. The closure cap which isthus distinguished as having been already used, as also by the bendingin of the head a by the action of the sealing tool, is thus capable ofserving as a safeguard against adulteration of the contents o! thevessel. and is at the margin are caused to participate in the radial 1compression of the spring segments of the main portion of the cap rimeiected in the described manner by the stiifening ribs f.

The dividing marks l can equally well be provided at any desired pointsintermediate the 1 grooves f, or can be replaced by incisions.

I claim:

A closure cap made from material possessing elasticity, for applicationto the mouth of a receptacle having a beaded neck portion, comprising 2in combination a substantially disc-shaped head, a normally cylindricalange depending from the extreme outer edge of the said head, the insidecircumference of the said ange being greater than the outsidecircumference of the said neck portion of the receptacle, a marginalportion on the said flange adapted to be crimped into engagement beneaththe beading on the said neck portion, inwardly impressed longitudinalchannels in the said ilange extending continuously from the o said headto the commencement of the said marginal portion. said channels beingprovided at and through the said head so that they are openended at thetop, the circle inscribed within the said channels being smaller thanthe outside ciro cumference of the said neck portion of the receptacle,and the said marginal portion being at least partly cut throughlongitudinally at intervals round its periphery from the lower edgeupwards for a distance amounting at the most to the width o! the saidmarginal portion.

ROBERT LANDAU.

